Iso9000 and Sears’ Quality Management System

Executive Summary

Case Study

The study highlights probable challenges experienced during the process as being:

• Communication

• Belief in ISO

• Consistency

The study presents statements on these as practical hurdles and is supported by references responding to each.

Following this, the Quality Management Principles engaged during are Sears experience are presented and shown to have been instrumental in resolving the challenges listed above. This also is supported by references from a various sources.

Case Study

ISO9000 and Sears’ Quality Management System

Key Issue #1

What issues do you think that a large company such as Sears had to face in implementing ISO9000 across its vast organisation?

Due to Sears’ size and geographical expanse, the changes of implementing ISO presents a number of challenges. These will have included such issues as:

Communication

With a workforce in excess of 201,000 people, spread across North America and Canada, effective, accurate and consistent communication is vital. ISO9000 was traditionally considered to provide for manufacturing and therefore to implement it in a retail/service business required tremendous communication with a degree of negotiation and salesmanship.

Belief in ISO

Successful QMS and ISO9000 relies heavily on workforce acceptance. Sears needed to build internal trust and belief in ISO9000:

“In the beginning, the workforce saw ISO 9001 as just another task or more work. But as QMS education demonstrated how consistent processes could make a difference on the front lines, ISO 9001 became a "way of life rather than additional tasks," according to Sears officials. "Trust the system" was the basic message to all employees.” - (Parry, 2006)

Consistency

With around 10,000 field service technicians, consistent process execution is nearly impossible. As Deming stated in his “System of Profound Knowledge” point 2 (Understanding Variation):

“first understand, and then work to reduce...